Goa for gas-based plant to tide over power shortage

Panaji: Goa will explore the possibility of
setting up at least one gas-based power station generating 250 MW electricity to match up with the increasing electricity requirement of the state, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said.

Presenting the annual budget on the floor of the House
yesterday, Kamat said that the Gas Authority of India
Limited`s (GAIL) pipeline is proposed to reach Goa by March
2012, which has increased the possibility of having a gas-
based power plant.

The Chief Minister said that there was an acute shortage
of power when compared to its demand in the state.

"At present, there is a shortfall of 100 MW during the
peak period," said Kamat, who held the Power portfolio for
almost a decade before being elevated to the Chief Minister`s
post.

He said the power requirement would continue to increase
as the state`s economy was growing.

"A conservative estimate indicates that the peak demand
power requirement would be 1,100 MW by the terminal year of
the twelfth five-year plan period," Kamat said.

Stressing on the need for a gas-based power plant, he
said that the state government had signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with GAIL to get the gas pipeline to the state.
The economic survey (ES) report, tabled on the floor of
the House on Wednesday, has predicted that power requirement
for Goa will escalate to more than double from the existing
440 MW, in the next six years.

The report said the projected demand for 2010-12 is 721
MW and for 2016-17 is 1,083 MW.
"The present suppressed maximum demand of Goa is 440 MW,
which takes into consideration peak load restriction imposed
on bulk industrial consumers, and also the present ban imposed
on release of new loads above 150 KVA," it said.